The first ‘Skyfall’ clip shows off James Bond versus a train

I can think of no better way to kick off Global James Bond Day than with the first official clip from “Skyfall.”

The buzz on this film is building now, and it makes sense.  We are, after all, only a month out from the release.  I’ve talked to at least one person who saw a rough cut of the film, and their reaction to it was unbridled enthusiasm.  It sounds like Sam Mendes didn’t just make a good Bond film, but actually nailed the idea that this has to serve as a celebration of the 50 years that Bond has been a presence in the world of international cinema.  That’s a huge legacy to try to encapsulate in a single film, but the word I’m hearing is that he did it, and that fans of the series are going to be positively flattened by the movie.

I find it amazing that there are still people who seem unhappy about Daniel Craig playing James Bond.  He’s about as perfect for the role as anyone I could imagine, and I think the choices he makes in the role are exciting.  It’s important to me that on some level Bond has to be scary.  That’s the biggest problem I have with Roger Moore as I rematch the movies right now.  I just don’t think he’s intimidating at all, and one of the things that defines James Bond is his license to kill.  Craig’s Bond has proven himself capable of killing pretty much anyone he gets his hands on, and there’s something kind of glorious about what a cultured ape he is.

The clip that was released today builds to a punchline that we actually saw in the second “Skyfall” trailer, and it’s one of those moments that captures exactly what it is that makes Bond stand apart from the standard-issue action hero.  First, there’s the improvisation as he uses a giant industrial digger to open the back end of a train car, a great example of Bond thinking his way out of a situation.  Then there’s the beat when he drops into the ruined open end of the train car and adjusts his cuff so he’s dapper and well-dressed.  That touch seems to suggest that this Bond is more comfortable in his own skin and closer to the archetype than we’ve seen in the first few films that Craig made.

Adele’s theme yesterday, this clip today… they’re not making it easy to be patient as we wait for the film to be released.  I can’t wait to lay eyes on it, and I can honestly say this is one of the two reviews I am most looking forward to writing this year.  35 days and counting.  Does this excite you as much as it does me?

“Skyfall” arrives in theaters and at IMAX venues on November 9, 2012.

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